Managing climate extremes and disasters in the water sector

This thematic brief summarises the key findings of the SREX report relevant to water resources and water management. The Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) was commissioned by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The brief includes material directly taken from the SREX report but it also presents synthesis messages that are the views of the authors of this brief and do not necessarily those of the IPCC.

Aimed primarily at water sector policy-makers and planners, the brief discusses three main questions:

1. Why are extreme events a critical issue for water management?
2. How is the water sector affected by the risk and impact of extreme events?
3. What actions can be taken to manage these risks?

Back, E., Cameron, C., Norrington-Davies, G. and Mitchell, T., 2012. Managing climate extremes and disasters in the water sector : lessons from the IPCC SREX Report. [online] London, UK: The Climate and Development Knowledge Network, CDKN. 30 p.; ill.; tab.; fig.
Available at: <cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SREX-Summary-WATER_web.pdf>

United Nations world water development report 4

World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and UN-Water, 2012. United Nations world water development report 4 : managing water under uncertainty and risk. (World Water Development Report / United Nations; no. 4). [online] Paris, France: UNESCO. 3 vol. (xii, 867 p.; ill.; tab.; fig.; boxes; maps). ISBN 978-92-3-104235-5
Available at: <http://washurl.net/7e1itc>

The fourth edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR4) is a comprehensive review of the world’s freshwater resources and seeks to demonstrate, among other messages, that water underpins all aspects of development, and that a coordinated approach to managing and allocating water is critical. The Report underlines that in order to meet multiple goals water needs to be an intrinsic element in decision-making across the whole development spectrum.

Water ethics and water resource management

Liu, J. … [et al.] (2011). Water ethics and water resource management. Bangkok, Thailand, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. 84 p.; 17 fig.; 3 tab. 81 ref.
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This report examines ethical issues associated with water resource utilization and management, including its uses in energy and other domains. Under the “Ethics and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific” (ECCAP) project, the Water Ethics working group has compiled a report with some case studies highlighting different ethical issues associated with water resource utilization and management. The report systematically discusses how water ethics can make a difference to water related practices and provides a cross-cultural review of the issues. The report reveals gaps in existing knowledge to researchers, policy makers and funders of research, which could be used to examine linkages between research and policy making, and presents areas of policy options to governments. [authors abstract]

Water and Climate Change Coalition

The Water and Climate Change Coalition (WCC) was launched at a side event at the climate change talks in Bonn, Germany, on 3rd June, 2010.

The WCC advocates for inclusion of water resources management in policy responses to climate change, especially in the outcomes of the negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The WCC evolved from the Global Public Policy Network on Water Management (GPNN), an initiative of Stakeholder Forum and Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). The GPNN was originally set up to coordinate civil society participation in the review of water and sanitation commitments at the 16th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-16). In 2009, the GPNN decided to focus its efforts almost exclusively on water and climate issues.

WCC members include: Cap-Net, Chartered Institute for Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Freshwater Action Network (FAN), Green Cross International, Global Water Partnership (GWP), Progressio, University of North Carolina (UNC) Water Institute, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Stakeholder Forum and Stockholm International Water Institute jointly host the WCC Secretariat.

The WCC web site provides background information and news about it advocacy activities.

Web site: www.waterclimatecoalition.org

Climate change and urban water utilities

Danilenko, A., Dickson, E. and Jacobsen, M. (2010). Climate change and urban water utilities: challenges & opportunities. (Water working notes ; no. 24). Washington, DC, USA. Water Sector Board, Sustainable Development Network, World Bank. x, 72 p. : boxes, fig., tab. Includes ref.

Download full report and related Practitioner Note (PN50)

This report, based on the input of 20 large utilities around the world presents the perceptions, experiences, and approaches to addressing climate related challenges of urban areas in developing, middle income, and developed countries.

The report is structured as follows:

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the role that climate change will have on urban water utilities and highlights the often competing priorities that water managers are faced with in developing countries;

Chapter 2 describes the relationship between climate change and water resources as they influence water service provision;

Chapter 3 presents a framework for analysis of vulnerability and adaptive capacity of water providers;

Chapters 4 presents a framework for adaptation actions.

Annexes contain detailed graphs and statistics taken from the international workshop held in Madrid, Spain in January of 2009 and utility specific case studies which are highlighted throughout the report.

Peri-urban water and sanitation services : policy, planning and method

Kurian, M. and McCarney, P. (eds.) (2010). Peri-urban water and sanitation services : policy, planning and method. Heidelberg, Germany, Springer. ii, 311 p. : 42 ill. ISBN: 978-90-481-9424-7
Due for publication: Aug 2010
Price: € 129.95
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Peri-urban Water and Sanitation Services, a collection of papers initially developed to support a distance-learning course at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands, challenges professionals to pursue water services dilemmas within a broader developmental framework that addresses issues of autonomy and accountability intrinsic to intergovernmental relations.

This book draws on literature at the interface of common pool resources, co-production, new public management and political ecology to discuss important policy concerns that relate to rural-urban transformation, budget support, wastewater reuse and performance benchmarking.

‘This collection of work by some of the most important researchers on socio-ecological aspects of water and sanitation is timely. By highlighting the importance of behaviour, society and ecology on the management of water and sanitation, the editors are highlighting an area of work that has largely been neglected. For instance, why is it that so many technical fixes exist, and yet in practice, few successful projects are ever brought to scale?’ Mark Redwood, Program Leader, Urban Poverty and Environment Program, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada.

‘With global urban population now larger than rural, opening of public-private relationships and opportunities, and the globalisation of technology and capital, can needs of citizens for clean and affordable water and sanitation services be met? This book argues that the terrain is rapidly changing and provides an evidence-based approach not only to technology but also to governance systems that mediate access to public services.’ Gita Sen, Professor, Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India.

Journal of Water and Climate Change

The first issue of this new quarterly journal published by the International Water Association (IWA) is now available. It includes one WASH-related article:

Securing 2020 vision for 2030: climate change and ensuring resilience in water and sanitation services
Guy Howard, Katrina Charles, Kathy Pond, Anca Brookshaw, Rifat Hossain and Jamie Bartram
doi:10.2166/wcc.2010.012. Free download

Journal of Water and Climate Change publishes refereed research and practitioner papers on all aspects of water science, technology, management and innovation in response to climate change.

The journal’s editors are Editors:

• Charles Ainger, The University of Cambridge, UK
• Justin Brookes, The University of Adelaide, Australia
• Carol Howe, UNESCO-IHE Delft, The Netherlands
• John W. Norton, Jr, MWH Americas, Inc., USA
• Geoffrey Schladow, University of California, Davis, USA

Subscription rates:

• Institutional Rate (print + online) – US$585 / €495 / £395
• IWA Individual Member Rate, print – US$140 / €120 / £95
• IWA Individual Member Rate, online – US$89 / €75 / £60

Free access to not-for-profit (educational & governement) institutions in developing countries is available through the HINARI and OARE initiatives.

Authors can make their accepted papers free-to-view via IWAPonline for a one-off standard fee of £1,700 / US$3,400 / €2,550.

The resilience of water supply and sanitation in the face of climate change

Howard, G. and Bartram, J. (2009). Summary and policy implications Vision 2030 : the resilience of water supply and sanitation in the face of climate change. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization and London, UK, Department for International Development (DFID). 41 p. ISBN 978-92-4-159842 2

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The global climate is changing – drinking-water and sanitation services have to prepare for the impact. If the widely anticipated flood and drought consequences of climate change come to pass, then both established water and sanitation services and future gains in access and service quality will be at risk.

The vision 2030 study of DFID and WHO set out to increase our understanding of how anticipated climate change may affect drinking-water and sanitation services and what can be done to optimize resilience of technologies, infrastructure and services. Five broad policy-relevant conclusions are reached. This booklet summarizes the study.

It aims to help policy-makers, planners, operators and communities in making practical decisions based on clear criteria, to improve the resilience of their water and sanitation services. It is part of a larger set of materials, including a full technical report and a set of background reports and guidance notes, available on the accompanying CD-ROM.

The atlas of water (2nd ed.)

Black, Maggie and King, Jannet (2009). The atlas of water. (2nd ed.). London, UK, Earthscan. 128 p. ISBN 9781844078271
Price: £12.99
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The new edition of the atlas shows water distribution worldwide, and reflects the latest thinking and emerging issues.

With updated data throughout, the atlas covers a wide range of topics to map how our limited water resources are shared and used around the world, as well as the challenges posed to their management by population and environmental pressures.

It includes new maps on climate change, water for tourism, dam construction, biodiversity, and water management, commerce and legislation. With snapshots of especially vulnerable areas and major polluters as well the global picture, the atlas is aimed at general readers as well as policy makers and students.

Divided into six parts, each prefaced with an introductory essay, the atlas investigates the nature of the resource itself, through its uses in all kinds of human activity, to the vexed questions of how to manage water well and avoid the threat of ‘water conflicts’.

More information and table of contents

Climate change and water : international perspectives on mitigation and adaptation

Smith, J., Howe, C. and Henderson, J. (eds) (2009). Climate change and water : international perspectives on mitigation and adaptation. London, UK, International Water Association (IWA) and Denver, CO, USA, American Water Works Association (AWWA). 290 p. ISBN: 9781843393047 (IWA). ISBN 1583217304 (AWWA)

Order online from IWA here
Price: £ 52.75 / US$ 105.50 / € 79.13. IWA members price: £ 39.50 / US$ 79.00 / € 59.25

Order online from AWWA here
Price: US$ 99.00. AWWA members price: US$ 79.00

Understand the effects of climate change on urban water and wastewater utilities with this collection of international scientific papers. This book offers the latest scientific findings on climate change and its increasingly important impacts on fresh water resources and water quality. Additionally, case studies provide actual examples of how climate change and global warming are beginning to impact water resources and water utilities (Publisher’s text).